These El Diablo Shots Literally Light Up The Night

When developing shots to pay tribute to the premiere of Suicide Squad, one drink was the most obvious addition—and proved the most terrifying to make. If we're paying tribute to the flame-shooting El Diablo, the drink had to be lit. Literally lit.

Bacardi 151, which also appears in our Bourne Forget-Your-Identity Shots, is the secret to this shot's flaming appearance. The rum is so potent—75 percent alcohol, versus the typical 30-40 percent in other Jack Sparrow-approved booze—that it will easily catch fire. The bottle has a warning on its label—and a special metal arrester to keep the rum inside it from igniting.

Chelsea Lupkin

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Still, after seeing bartenders light shots on fire, we had to try it for ourselves—and see if we could concoct a shot that actually tastes good, despite 151's gasoline-like flavor. For science, right?

Just kidding. It was pure stupidity, fueled by our inner pyromaniacs. We mixed apple juice with Fireball whisky, so the cinnamon-apple combo would overpower the 151 (or at the very least, give it a pleasant aftertaste), then topped it with the rum. The rum immediately caught fire, producing a mesmerizing glow. Too mesmerizing.

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Warner Bros./Giphy

We followed a few fire-safety musts—not wearing loose clothing, avoiding any spills, washing our hands before lighting the shots and using a candle lighter, so we could maintain a safe distance from the flame itself—but even then, learned one thing almost immediately: A thick shot glass (made out of glass, not plastic, of course) is crucial. Ours were a bit too thin, and after two minutes of being lit—arguably way longer than anyone should ever keep a shot lit—the edge began to turn brown and shattered. Yikes.

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Warner Bros./Giphy

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If you attempt this, do so at your own risk. The fire really doesn't add anything to the flavor, beyond burning off some of the alcohol, so it's a little smoother. You can get the same effect by just using less Bacardi 151, or subbing in a less-intense dark rum (mind-blowing, right?). Be careful blowing out the shot before drinking it, too. If you fill it too close to the top, when you blow out the flame before taking the shot, you risk splashing the booze, creating a fire hazard. (Gizmodo has an excellent guide to setting drinks on fire, if you want more info on the matter.)